Coast Guard officials said the Cutter Munro returned to Alameda, California in early March, following a 105-day, 10,000-mile Alaska patrol, during which its crew served as the primary search and rescue (SAR) asset in the Bering Sea.
During its time at sea the crew performed 452 flight evolutions with five separate aircraft from Air Station Kodiak, qualifying seven pilots and ensuring SAR readiness in the region.
Munro partnered with NOAA Office of Law Enforcement personnel to conduct 24 boardings of commercial fishing vessels, with the goal of enforcing sustainable fishing practices and ensuring compliance with federal regulations.
Capt. Rula Deisher, commanding officer of Munro, said the continued existence of these fisheries depends on a healthy and productive ecosystem.
“We’re happy to do our part combating unsustainable fishing and promoting maritime commerce that is essential to a strong U.S. economy,” Deisher said. “A winter patrol in the Bering Sea is the ultimate test of the cutter and crew.”
Commissioned in 2017, Munro is named for Signalman First Class Douglas A. Munro, the only Coast Guardsman awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942 for his actions and sacrifice in the defense, rescue, and evacuation of a U.S. Marine battalion from Point Cruz at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
Munro is one of four Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, endurance of up to 90 days, and can hold a crew of up to 170.
